As a processing apparatus that forms a thin film such as, for example, a silicon oxide film (SiO2 film) on an object to be processed (“workpiece”) such as, for example, a semiconductor wafer, a semi-batch type processing apparatus is known as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2010-239102. In such a processing apparatus, a rotary table formed to be rotatable around a vertical axis is provided in a processing container that is maintained in vacuum, and a plurality of slots configured to place (accommodate) semiconductor wafers therein are formed on the rotary table along the circumferential direction thereof.
In addition, between the processing container and a load port in which a semiconductor wafer conveyance container (front opening unified pod (FOUP)) is placed, a transfer module, a load lock room, and a loader module are arranged from the processing container side. In addition, the semiconductor wafers within the FOUP are respectively accommodated in predetermined slots within a vacuum container through conveyance arms that are disposed in the transfer module and the loader module, respectively. Then, when a processing gas is supplied to the semiconductor wafers while revolving the semiconductor wafers by the rotary table, a uniform thin film is formed on the semiconductor wafers.